Former Ballon d’Or winner criticises Alonso over Vinicius situation – ‘Still the best player in the world’ | OneFootball

The ongoing rift between Vinicius Jr. and Xabi Alonso has been the talk of the town at Real Madrid lately.

The point of contention came when Vinicius, despite playing in the recent win over Barcelona, was taken off at the 71st minute, prompting the Brazilian to react angrily.

Vinicius was seen muttering in frustration and stormed straight down the tunnel instead of joining his teammates on the bench.

This has led to tension between Vinicius and Alonso, with the former not too happy with the fact that he has been substituted far too often this season.

Rivaldo defends Vinicius

In the wake of the recent controversy, former Brazilian icon Rivaldo has shared his thoughts, notably siding with Vinicius.

In a recent interview (h/t COPE), the World Cup winner stated that while he didn’t approve of the outburst, the manager shared the blame for the situation.

“I don’t agree with what Vinicius did, but we have to give him some leeway, because it’s not just about this match, but about a context of substitutions and repeated situations,” Rivaldo stated.

He empathised with the star forward’s frustration, pointing out that the substitution was questionable from a tactical standpoint, as Vinicius was having a strong game.

“Vinicius’ reaction wasn’t right, because he said some bad things, and that, of course, looks bad. But you can understand his anger: he was playing well, he was a key player, he participated in the second goal, and he was keeping the ball up front well,” he explained.

Vinicius and Xabi Alonso must settle their feud as soon as possible. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

“I think he got irritated, not only because of the substitution itself, but because it’s happened to him in other matches, he’s been on the bench before,” he added.

Criticism aimed at Alonso

Rivaldo also pointed out that Alonso’s decision to repeatedly substitute a player of Vinicius’ calibre is baffling, especially in a high-stakes match like El Clasico.

“Whether people like it or not, Vinicius is still the best player in the world according to FIFA,” he said.

“Honestly, a player like Vinicius, who is so valuable to Real Madrid and an asset to the club, shouldn’t be substituted for seven matches.

“Especially not in a Clasico that they were winning by a single goal, that Barcelona could have tied, and that he, Vinicius, could have sealed the victory for them,” he added.

The Brazilian legend concluded with a pointed critique at Alonso, suggesting the move might have been less about tactics and more about the coach asserting his dominance over the squad by targeting one star over the other, referring to Kylian Mbappe.

“Sometimes the coach, having been a great player and champion, may not like to see another player be the star,” he said.

“I don’t know if there’s anything personal, but sometimes a coach, to win over the group, chooses the most outstanding player.

“And Vinicius, having been the best in the world last year, might end up being his target. It’s a way of showing authority. Something like saying, ‘If I can do it with Vinicius, I can do it with anyone,” he concluded.

Vinicius has recently put out an apology, where he deliberately did not mention Xabi Alonso, in what could yet another sign of escalation of the feud.